His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and founder and chairman of the non-profit Al-Turath [Heritage] Foundation, inaugurated on Tuesday the collection of books by Dr. William Roe Polk in the presence of His Highness Prince Khalid bin Fahad bin Abdulrahman, His Highness Prince Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, Governor of Najran Region, the designated Secretary General of King Fahad National Library, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Nasser Al-Asim, and a number of officials and those interested in the culture, heritage and authorship sector.
His Highness said in a press statement on this occasion, "We celebrate this man who loved this country, we celebrate the history of this country, and we celebrate the group who helped him know the regions of this blessed country."
His Highness explained that Dr. Polk's library, which His Highness bought and decided to make available to those interested through the King Fahad National library, contains 7,000 titles and a number of manuscripts and artefacts, as it was transported via the Saudi Airlines Fleet and King Fahad National Library, which is considered the main hub for books and knowledge.
His Highness pointed out that the culture sector is a major economic sector in light of the development renaissance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, may God protect him, and the follow-up of my brother His Highness the Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman and also with His Highness the Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Farhan and his support for King Fahad National Library to have this precious collection.
His Highness added that the Kingdom is witnessing these days a great leap in various fields, and this is something traditional and inherited in the Saudi citizen for thousands of years, and he is ready for transformation, development and excellence, which has resulted in the unity of a nation. Dr. Polk's collection is one of the richest and most important private libraries in modern times, which Polk has collected over decades. His books are considered an important reference for politicians and the general public in the world, from east to west, and today, thanks to His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, at King Fahad National Library, to the benefit of all scholars, researchers and interested people, to be the first private library found in the King Fahad National Library.